Resources

Where do I find help?

Prevention
Protect yourself.

There are numerous resources and

references where you are able to retrieve
valuable information about melanoma. If
you have any questions, or would like to
further explore melanoma, you may visit
any of the following sites for reliable
information:

The most important form of

prevention is reducing sun exposure.
If you are exposed to the sun for a
long amount of time, wearing hats,
tightly woven clothing, and broadspectrum waterproof sunscreen will
substantially decrease your risk of
melanoma. When are you exposed to
the sun, avoid burning at all costs. In
addition, avoiding indoor tanning in
any circumstance will greatly
decrease your risk, as well. The risk
for melanoma increases by 75
percent every time one has been
unprotected from radiation in indoor
tanning devices. With frequent use
of tanning, the risk of melanoma
increases even more dramatically. In
addition, early detection is crucial.
Have your skin checked on a regular
basis by your physician at least
every year. This is especially
important for anyone at high risk, as
mentioned before in the last section.

http://www.skincancer.org/skincancer-information/melanoma

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/skincan
cer-melanoma/index

http://www.melanoma.org/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/melanoma/care-at-mayoclinic/research/CON-20026009

Loren Cihlar
Ball State University
2000 W. University Ave.
Muncie, IN 47306
lecihlar@bsu.edu

Melanoma
Melanoma
An inside look on risk factors
and prevention methods for
the deadliest and most
common form of skin cancer.

What Is
Melanoma?
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer
that is developed from pigment
cells in the skin called
melanocytes. Melanoma can
spread to other parts of the body,
which may result in serious illness
and death. Due to the severity of
this type of skin cancer, melanoma
is the most serious type of skin
cancer. In the United States,

Warning Signs and Symptoms

Am I at risk?

approximately 50,000 new cases of

melanoma are diagnosed each
year. Since melanoma has a high
incidence rate, as well as severe
symptoms, melanoma awareness is
a necessity for all populations.

Being aware of the major warning signs and

symptoms associated with melanoma can put
someone at a huge advantage in preventing
melanoma. An important aspect of prevention is
the ability to comprehend who is most at risk.
Melanoma is the deadliest and most common
form of skin cancer for people ages 25-29, and
the second most common cancer for teenagers
ages 15-19. Breaking down this population even
further, females are more likely to be diagnosed
as well, due to the strong appeal to tanning. In
addition, factors that may raise your risk include
being of Caucasian decent, fair skin, light hair, or
light colored eyes, more than 100 moles on your
body, irregular moles, and close blood relatives
with melanoma.
Although the younger population is most at risk,
anyone is capable of getting melanoma.
Therefore, understanding the signs and
symptoms is crucial for everyone. First, early
detection is critical. Often, most cases of
melanoma can be cured with minor surgical
procedures if caught early.

The first place to start is recognizing spots on

your skin. If you notice a spot that looks as if it is
changing, immediately show your doctor.
However, that does not always mean that every
freckle, mole, or blood vessel is cancerous. In
order to differentiate whether a mole is
cancerous or just benign, we use the ABCDEs.
A stands for asymmetry. This means that if a
mole is asymmetrical, one half of the mole is
different from the other half, then that is one
sign it may be cancerous. B stands for border
irregularity: the spot has borders that are not
smooth, but uneven and notched. C stands for
color. This means that the spot has several
different colors, or even an irregular pattern. D
stands for diameter. This means that the spot is
larger than the size of a pencil eraser. Lastly, E
stands for evolving, meaning that the mole is
changing in size, shape, and color. If you have
any suspicions at all, show your doctor
immediately.